Why We Vote the Way We Vote
Michael Barone writes a coherent, reasoned, logical assessment of the upcoming election, pointing out, essentially, that this election will be more about feelings than facts. Things like Katrina and Iraq are driving the electorate, but what is driving our feelings about Katrina and Iraq?
Remember all of the stories about Katrina shortly after the hurricane hit? Ten thousand dead in New Orleans alone, shootings, murders, rapes, and all of it Bush’s fault. Well… first of all, after these spectacular headlines created a perception of total chaos, there was almost nothing that could reverse the feeling of despair and disgust that swept the nation, not even the truth. Especially since the truth, being much less interesting, didn’t ge the headlines. Quick.. how many people died in New Orleans as a result of Katrina? 10,000? 5,000? 1,000?
In Louisiana the death toll was 799, so I’m pretty sure New Orleans was under 10,000.
Devastating? Absolutely. Heartbreaking? Yep. Bush’s fault… nope. Amazing how little blame the MSM was willing to place on Mayor Nagin (who refused to evacuate and left city buses sitting idle as Rome burned) or Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco (can you imagine Jeb Bush escaping unscathed by the press if Miami was wiped out during the Clinton administration).
And the reports of widespread rapes and murders turned out to be false and essentially poor reporting by networks trying to be the first to air the worst news possible. (4 rapes were officially reported; there were likely more.. but widespread? No.)
We were led to believe New Orleans was turned into an absolute lawless society with people behaving in ways we would never expect in this country… essentially, we were lied to by Libs wanting to make Bush look bad and by a willing press rushing to report the worst news, true or not.
The result… Bush is still getting hits over this for incompetence.
Iraq. We hear about how we have been in this war longer than we were in WWII. Well… not quite. First of all, the Iraq war was over shortly after it started. What we are in now is a very long war against Musilm Fascists that happens to be occurring in Iraq and Afghanistan (with “battles” in several other countries.. thankfully none reaching our soil since 9/11).
Before the Iraq War (actually a continuation of the “first” Iraq War since we were actually observing a cease fire and no conclusion or surrender was reached the first time around) we were again warned of the worst… tens of thousands of US troops would die at the hands of a determined Irai fighting force defending their home land from the US aggressor. Well… no.
So.. let’s really compare Iraq with WWI, WWII, Korea and Vietnam (US casualties):
- World War I 116,516
- World War II 405,399
- Korean War 36,576
- Vietnam War 58,200
- Iraq 2,500
Is 2,500 too many deaths? Yes. So is 100, 50, 25 or 1. But if we are going to use previous wars as a measuring stick, and if lives are more important than time (and they are), then wouldn’t that be a better measuring stick?
So here we are, days away from an election. The economy is sound, interest rates are low, unemployment is low, DOW at a record high, gas prices coming down rapidly, heating costs coming down, no attacks on US soil since 9/11, deficit cut in half, income taxes lower and tax revenues higher, no major hurricanes to blame Bush for this year, and the War on Terror being successfully fought overseas… but the country is ready for a change?
Go figure…
Too bad we aren’t getting a real clear understanding of what that change will look like from our friends in the press. Maybe that’s because no real ideas or plans are actually being offered by the Dems. Can you name one real idea to improve our security or the economy coming from the Dems?
Higher taxes? Not my idea of a good idea.
Withdraw from Iraq? And then what? Wait for the next attack and then respond like we did after the USS Cole? (Which, by the way WAS an act of war that was not responded to by the US)
Raise the minimum wage? There’s an original idea.
No… unfortunately, we will get exactly what we deserve if the House and/or Senate flips. If that happens, I hope I am wrong and the Dems make everything better… you see, it’s not about which party wins the election, it’s about you and me. Too bad there is so much acrimony coming from the Left that good news is bad news as long as Bush is president.
Stumble it!